Identification of Ruminococcus flavefaciens as the predominant cellulolytic bacterial species of the equine cecum

Detection and quantification of cellulolytic bacteria with oligonucleotide probes showed that Ruminococcus flavefaciens was the predominant species in the pony and donkey cecum. Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus albus were present at low levels. Four isolates, morphologically resembling R. f lavefaciens, differed from ruminal strains by their carbohydrate utilizatio n and their end products of cellobiose fermentation.